Europe Skies (Something Different)
by Yondaime Namikaze
Summary: [HTTYD 2 SPOILERS] (After How To Train Your Dragon 2) Hiccup, one evening, realizes that he wants to marry Astrid. The only problem is that he does not know how he's going to ask her. All he knows is that he wants the proposal to be unique. At his mother's suggestion, he develops and adapts an old idea. What is Hiccup's plan and how will Astrid react? [AGAIN: SPOILERS FOR HTTYD 2]
1. This Is Berk

**This is what I write when I take a break from Brave and Wheel. The story you have chosen to read is a random spur-of-the-moment one. I hope that you enjoy this short little story. It was originally going to be a one-shot, but I decided to split it up a bit...okay, a lot. I have an outline for this (just like Brave and Wheel). It will be ten chapters in length. I really hope that you all like this story because it kind of sort of begged me to write it all down. **

**P.S. If you accidentally clicked on this link and missed it in the description: THERE WILL BE HTTYD 2 SPOILERS IN THIS STORY! Not that I don't want you to read…just see the movie first and then come read. I'd love to have you, but I'd be sad if you hated on me for spoiling the movie to you.**

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Chapter 1: This Is Berk

Almost a year had passed since Berk was nearly destroyed. It had been almost a year ago that Hiccup had risen…well, been thrust to the high position of Chief of Berk. What a year it had been! With Hiccup overseeing the daily workings of the village and the rebuilding process, Berk had been restored to its former glory, free of ice and with all new buildings. Outside the Great Hall, a large statue of Stoick the Vast looked out over the village, protecting and watching over it just as the man had done in life.

In the newly-constructed village center, Hiccup stood with Astrid. The young Chief stood admiring the village. He smiled in reminisce; this Berk looked just like the Berk of his childhood. Deep in his heart, though, the pain still stung, even after a year. His father would never see Berk as it is now. Hiccup had always hoped that when the time came for him to be Chief, his father would be there to guide him and help him through the mistakes. Yet, the young Viking had found himself "learning on the job" once again.

Beside Hiccup, Astrid also looked on at the village. She was proud of the leader Hiccup had become, the leader she knew that he could be. "Alright, I admit it. You've done a great job restoring Berk, _Chief_. The village is just like how it was when we were kids."

Hiccup smiled, pleased by his girlfriend's compliment. "Are you ever going to stop accenting that word? It's just a title."

Punching her boyfriend, Astrid laughed before replying. "No, it's _your_ title! You've earned it and everyone looks up to you. They all trust you and believe you'll be just as good a Chief as your…" Her light-hearted reply halted immediately. Astrid knew how tough a subject it was to talk with Hiccup about his father. Voice catching slightly in her throat, she finished the rest of her thought. "…as your father."

Immediately, Hiccup's gaze dropped as the pain in his heart grew immensely at the thought of his dad. The older Vikings in the village had told him months ago that the pain and sorrow were parts of the grieving process, but the young Chief had never imagined them to be so great; he had never experienced death in his family as he had been just a baby when his mother was taken and believed to be dead. "I don't know, Astrid," he spoke softly, his voice cracking slightly. "I don't think I'll ever be as good a Chief as my Dad."

With his gaze averted down, Hiccup did not notice Astrid move until she placed the index and middle fingers of her right hand below his chin. Gently, she lifted his chin up so that his hazel eyes met her aqua ones. "You'll be a wonderful Chief, Hiccup!" she comforted him. "You already have been. In just this short year, Berk has come such a long way…and so have you. Yes, you won't be a Chief like Stoick the Vast was, but that's not a bad thing. Times have changed, Hiccup, and Berk needs a creative and intuitive leader such as you to keep up with the changes. Don't belittle yourself, Hiccup. Sure it was hard at first, but you'll only continue to improve. Besides, you have all of Berk standing behind you and I'll always stand beside you if you ever need some assistance."

Astrid's comfort succeeded and Hiccup rewarded his girlfriend with a small smile. "Thank you, Astrid. It really means a lot to know that I'll always have your support. In fact, it means more than you'll ever know. Trust me."

For a moment, neither spoke. Instead, they turned their attention to the peaceful setting of the village center. The day was quickly ending and many Vikings were making their way to the Great Hall for dinner. Overhead, dragons flew but Hiccup did not bother trying to figure out where they were headed. With all the resources available to dragons on Berk, there was no possible way to guess their intentions. In the distance, Hiccup heard the soft singing of Terrible Terrors' nighttime song. On some of the warmer nights, Hiccup would leave his window open and allow their songs to lull him to sleep; he found that listening to their melodies would help ease his nightmares.

When Hiccup, out of the corner of his eye, noticed the setting sun, he was reminded of his nightly return. He hated to leave Astrid, but he knew that she would soon be heading home anyway. "Well, it's just about sunset. I need to go find Toothless for our nightly flight. You know how impatient he can get."

Astrid smiled. "Yes, Toothless definitely does not like to be kept waiting. It's okay, though. I need to get home and feed Stormfly her dinner. She can get just as impatient as Toothless."

The couple shared a quick kiss before they began to walk off in opposite directions. Hiccup had not walked too far away when he heard Astrid call back to him. Turning back, Hiccup waited to hear what Astrid wanted to tell him.

"No testing that flight suit of yours at this time of the day, you hear me? It's getting dark and there are too many risks. Save that for your morning flights, got it?"

Her voice was stern and commanding; Hiccup knew to never question her when she used that tone. "Anything for you, milady!" he replied.

"Good! See you tomorrow, Hiccup! I love you!"

She was gone before Hiccup could even answer back with his own reply of "I love you". That was common, though; he was used to her leaving in a hurry. Hiccup stood a moment longer, watching Astrid until she was out of sight. It was at this moment, as he remembered all the support and care that Astrid had shown him over these last five years, that Hiccup realized it. He wanted to always have Astrid there with him and he wanted to always be there for her. He never wanted to part from Astrid and he just knew that she felt the same. He wanted Astrid to be his one and only. Forever and for always. _**How will I tell her? I need a plan…something different.**_

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**As usual, the ending played out so much better in my head (and plans). I know this chapter was a bit slow, but I wanted to establish the timing within the movie's plotline and give a little background on how Berk and Hiccup/friends/villagers are faring since the end of the second movie. This story's plot will start to pick up in the next chapter.**

**Coming Up Next: Hiccup wants everything to be unique. That shouldn't be too hard for him. He's Hiccup, after all. Yet, the list of ideas in his sketchbook is black from all the plans he has scribbled out. This is all too frustrating. In frustration, Hiccup shares his thoughts with Valka, sparking a mother/son talk. Maybe all Hiccup really needs is a little "Help From Mom". **

**Next Chapter: Posting time is TBD; I write this story when I need to take a break from Brave and Wheel.**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting Europe's Skies (Something Different)! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter and continue reading. **

**Posted: June 29, 2014**


	2. Help From Mom

**Okay…wow…I can't thank you all enough for your overwhelming support on this new story! After only one chapter (and a slow "background" chapter, at that!), this story has more favorites and follows than some of my older HTTYD stories. Also, at this time, that chapter alone has been viewed over 450 times! Wow…I can't thank you all enough. Thank you so much! (There! I've said it again!) For that, I decided to start writing chapter 2 right away!**

**Review Replies:**

_**outofblue**_**: Thanks! I'm glad you do!**

_**lorde (anonymous)**_**: Crazy? Yeah…maybe…wait, isn't that what Ruffnut said to Hiccup in the first movie when he prepares to introduce them all to their dragons? Haha.**

_**snoopykid**_**: Thanks! Here is the next update!**

_**UnbreakableWarrior**_**: Thank you!**

_**Guest (anonymous)**_**: Thanks! Hmm…I would definitely like to do a Heather/Hiccup pairing story, but every time I plan out a story, Hiccup always ends up with Astrid. It's just so natural. I think I've got a starting premise for a pretty interesting Hiccup/Heather story…but it would need fleshed out…unless you have any ideas. Haha.**

_**ccooollccaatt10**_**: I'm going to guess your review was a compliment. Thanks. Haha.**

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Chapter 2: Help From Mom

It was a bright and beautiful day, warm for a change; a perfect day to go flying. On this opportune day, though, Berk's young Chief was not to be found in the skies, much to the disappointment of his Night Fury. Instead, Hiccup was seated at his desk in his bedroom. Over the years, Hiccup's childhood room had changed little. In fact, it was still quite similar a scene as it had been five years ago when Stoick had helped Hiccup move a large slab of rock into one of the corners. The rock was still there, serving as Toothless's bed, but the large black dragon was not on top of it. Toothless had left earlier in frustration after trying desperately to coax Hiccup into flying with him. When it was clear that the Chief would not be budging from his desk, Toothless had huffed and disappeared off to Odin knows where.

In front of Hiccup lay his open sketchbook. In the front of the sketchbook were his early sketches of Toothless and his dragon's prosthetic tailfin. At the back of the sketchbook was the map he had started creating before…well, before everything happened. When Hiccup had opened the sketchbook late last night, he had just taken a moment to look back through its contents, reminiscing the easy times when life had been as simple as winning dragon races, the times before Hiccup had finally met his mother and when he'd still had his father to guide him.

The world outside Hiccup's open window had been dark when Hiccup had first stared at the blank pages before him. On his desk, the candle, his only light, had burned low, but the young Chief was wide awake. Rune after rune, he sketched, forming words that symbolized the potential ideas flowing through his mind. The list in his sketchbook grew, but it was not long before he had scratched out every single one of his ideas. Now, those formerly blank pages were inked black from all the scribbling…and Hiccup was no closer to forming his plan. He was not used to this feeling. After all, he was Hiccup. Coming up with wild, creative, and crazy ideas was his specialty. He figured that his current failure stemmed from a need to come up with an absolutely perfect idea, one that Astrid would love. Perfect ideas were most definitely not things that Hiccup had an easy time forming. Laying his head down on top of his sketchbook, Hiccup groaned softly to himself in frustration. "I'm never going to come up with the perfect idea."

A soft knock on the doorframe startled Hiccup and he lifted his head a little too quickly and shifted his gaze to find his mother standing on the steps that led up to his bedroom. He had never even heard her footsteps on the stairs. "Oh, hey, Mom."

Hiccup waited for Valka to speak, but she seemed to just take in the scene before her. Thinking on it, Hiccup realized that it was probably a pretty interesting one to stumble upon. Her burnt-out son sitting at his desk with the remains of a candle and a heavily marked sketchbook in front of him and his best friend, the loyal Night Fury, nowhere to found.

Finally, Valka moved over to take a seat on Hiccup's bed, allowing her to meet her son's eyes as she spoke. Hiccup watched as his mother seemed to take in her son's appearance. "Hiccup, you look tired. Did you sleep at all last night?"

Shaking his head in response, Hiccup replied, " I did try to sleep, but I couldn't, not with everything that's on my mind, but…when I tried to write it out on paper…" he trailed off, pointing to his sketchbook and letting the black-filled pages speak the answer.

Valka looked over the pages, trying to make out the runes Hiccup had written upon them. However, all she could see were the frustrated scratch marks that Hiccup had drawn over all of his words. "Why don't you tell me what this is all about, Son? Maybe I can help you out…but then I want you to get to sleep. Berk needs an alert Chief, you hear me!" she replied, poking Hiccup's shoulder armor as if to make sure that her son truly got her message.

Hiccup gave a tired smile in return. "You got it, Mom." For a moment, he was amazed by the concern and care Valka had shown him in just the short year he had known her. Having her back on Berk as a new guide, almost a replacement for Stoick (though there would never truly be a replacement for his beloved father) helped to make up for all those years believing her dead, all those years of being ridiculed and cursed by Snotlout, for, as the other boy claimed, "being the reason his mother is no longer alive." Hearing his mother's side of the story, though, Hiccup now knew that it was never truly his fault. He had been only a few months old at the time. Of course, he had needed to be protected. Hiccup truly was glad to have her back.

Closing his sketchbook and pushing it aside, Hiccup turned his chair so he could face his mother. "I…I want to ask Astrid to marry me."

A wide smile found its way onto Valka's face as she clapped a hand over Hiccup's shoulder armor. "Son, that's wonderful news! Why, though, are you stressing over this? I've seen you two together. Astrid will accept your offer in a heartbeat!"

"Well…yes, I'm sure that Astrid wouldn't turn down my offer," Hiccup continued, averting his gaze to stare at the floorboards of his room. "It's just…I want to make the proposal special. I want it to be a moment that she'll never forget, one that she'll talk about for ages. Most proposals are so standard. I wanted mine to be unique and memorable, but my creative ideas seem to have…well, I guess they haven't run dry, but they're just not…creative enough. That's why I've been stressing over this all night."

Valka did not immediately answer, but Hiccup knew that she had been listening. There was a distant look in her eyes as if she was thinking about all she had just heard. _**Maybe she can help me out!**_ Hiccup, in just this short time of knowing his mother, had learned that he had seemed to take after her (without actually having known her) in many ways. _**Maybe she knows a creative way that I can propose to Astrid!**_ "Do you have any ideas? Maybe you know something that I haven't thought of yet?"

In reply to her son's almost-hesitant question, Valka gave him a small smile. "In fact, Hiccup, I think I do have an idea for you."

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**Yay! Mother/Son chats between Valka and Hiccup make me happy. Maybe it's just me. I dunno. Haha. I feel like the mother/son conversation was so much longer in my head/plans, but each time I tried to write out more than this, it came out wordy and unnecessary. Sorry if it seems rushed. The conversation will continue in the next chapter, though, so that should help it not feel as rushed.**

**Coming Up Next: Valka shares her idea with Hiccup, but he isn't convinced. To him, it seems too ordinary. His mother, though, encourages him to add "a little Hiccup flair" and assures him that doing so will create the very moment he envisions. A little unsure, Hiccup sets to work with a base idea in place. How can he possibly turn this into "Something Different"?**

**Next chapter: Posting time is TBD; I write this story when I need to take a break from Brave and Wheel…but I might start updating this faster if you all continue to show the same amount of support that I received for the first chapter!**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting Europe Skies (Something Different)!**

**Posted: July 2, 2014**


	3. Something Different

**So…I'm back from my weekend away from home. It was nice to get out for the holiday and I had a wonderful grill-out with my family (step-grandfather, two aunts, two uncles, and my dad's childhood friend/his wife…oh, and my parents and sister too). Now, it's back to reality…but I have a new chapter of Europe Skies (Something Different), so that's a plus!**

**Review Replies:**

_**lorde (anonymous)**_**: This story is as amazing as Wheel, huh? Good to hear. I think I'll step up my game, though, because I want this one to be even better than Wheel. As for your second review…huh, would you look at that! Must be a coincidence. **

_**UnbreakableWarrior**_**: Thanks!**

_**something (anonymous)**_**: Thanks! Here's the next chapter.**

_**Guest (anonymous)**_**: Did someone say "more"? Haha. Here ya go!**

_**ssellthootandpuccih**_**: Here's the next chapter. As I was writing this reply, I looked at your penname and my brain was all like "this looks familiar" and then I figured it out. Haha.**

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Chapter 3: Something Different

Hiccup listened attentively as his mother shared her idea. When she had finished explaining the details (which, surprisingly, were very few), Hiccup just sat there, at his desk, staring as he processed what he had just heard. He knew that his mother was waiting to for him to share his thoughts, but he had little to say about what he had just heard. "That's your idea?" Hiccup finally replied. "Sing my proposal to Astrid? Wasn't that already done, by…I dunno…my father to you?" he finished, impatience creating an edge in his voice (although, being frustrated and tired didn't exactly help to calm him either).

Valka had obviously been prepared for a similar response as she told her son. "Of course it's been done before! It's a tradition…well, it can be a tradition. I'm certain your grandfather didn't sing his proposal to your grandmother, but…that's not important right now. What's important is that you have the opportunity to create and carry on a new Haddock family tradition!"

Standing abruptly from his desk and slamming his hands down onto the smooth wood, Hiccup turned to face his mother. "I don't want to 'create and carry on a new Haddock family tradition," he answered, a bit harshly, in an accurate impression of his mother's accent. "I said that I wanted something different and that's, you know, why this has taken all night."

Despite her son's angered reply, Valka's smile never wavered. "Oh, Hiccup, I never said that you had to copy your father's proposal. I'm sure Astrid wouldn't like such a proposal either."

Sighing, Hiccup shook his head. "No way. This idea will never work. First, I can't sing. I'm trying to ask Astrid to marry me and not scare her away in the process. I'll probably already do that as I get overly nervous and stumble over my words again like I used to do when I was fifteen. Second, it's just too similar to Dad's idea. Astrid will notice right away and claim that I'm not creative enough…and then she'll probably reject my proposal." Now Hiccup knew that he was getting a bit too extreme with his excuses and he could see that his mother thought so as well.

To Hiccup's surprise, Valka just laughed at her son's outburst. "You're just tired, Hiccup. Get some rest and think later on this idea that I've presented to you. When you're more awake, try adding 'a little Hiccup flair' to my idea. I've heard from villagers that you're quite adept at taking a simple idea and adding to it. I can assure you that, with your creativity, you'll be able to create the very scene you envision." Walking over to her son, she gripped his arm and, with strength that the young man did not know she possessed, threw him down onto the nearby bed. "For now, though, get some rest. You need it."

Hiccup knew it was useless to protest, so he just gave a small tired smile and a word of thanks. However, he opted not to shut his eyes just yet, watching, instead, as Valka quickly left the bedroom. Once Hiccup was certain she was gone and would not be checking to see if he'd actually fallen into sleep, the young Chief slipped quietly back to his desk where the open sketchbook still lay.

Quietly tearing out the ruined pages Hiccup had been staring at all night, he crumpled them up and threw them onto his bed. With a blank sheet of paper in front of him, Hiccup felt his mind come alive. The idea his mother had presented seemed simple at first. Sing a proposal to Astrid. How hard could that be, really? Okay…that could be super difficult seeing as he was…well…Hiccup. Hiccup knew that he should've been taking his mother's advice and be sleeping at this moment, but now that his mind was flowing freely, Hiccup felt wide awake. He now felt confident that he could his mother's simple base idea and add his infamous "Hiccup flair" to it. Not long after he sat down, Hiccup found himself scribbling rune after rune onto his paper and, this time, he was not scratching out his words. Everything was coming together and, just as his mother predicted, his creativity had shaped the ordinary idea into something unique and new.

When Hiccup felt he had successfully emptied his creative thoughts onto the paper, he set down his charcoal-tipped pencil and looked down at what he had written. It had probably been close to an hour now since he had first sat down at his desk following his mother's pep talk and he felt that it had been a successful hour of plotting and planning. Reading through his new ideas once again, Hiccup was struck by how elaborate everything would be…if it all went according to plans. He would need to coordinate many things—musicians for the music and plan out a night for a formal dinner—all while keeping it unknown to Astrid. That would be the toughest part. The Vikings of Berk were not known for keeping secrets, especially ones as big as the potential marriage proposal of their beloved Chief.

Shutting his sketchbook, Hiccup decided that he would worry about all that another day. For now, though, that prospect of sleep was beginning to sound real nice. Climbing into his bed, Hiccup was momentarily startled awake at the realization that he did not have time to be sleeping. It was already approaching midday and he had Chief duties to attend to…well, most likely. He'd probably also promised Astrid an informal dragon race too; she would not appreciate him canceling last minute. Right now, though, his mind was so clouded from the creative drain and lack of sleep that he did not remember if these were actually things he needed to be doing or if it was just his mind trying to justify reasons why he should not be sleeping at this hour of the morning. Hiccup did not care, though. All he wanted to do right now was catch up on the sleep he had missed overnight. The rest could wait.

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**Ah, yes, our young Chief now has a plan. Most of this story will be the build-up of this plan, so we can look forward to that. Hope that everyone enjoyed! Surprisingly, I actually liked this ending...which is rare since I normally hate how my chapter endings turn out!**

**Coming Up Next: Hiccup has his plan. Now, he just needs to work on setting it up, arranging everything so that it will be as perfect as he envisions. However, all this sneaking around has caught the attention of Astrid. She has started to take notice. Hiccup feels bad about avoiding his girlfriend but he knows that he must do it this way in order to work out his "Carefully Secret Plans". **

**Next Chapter: Posting time is TBD; I write this story when I need to take a break from Brave and Wheel.**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting Europe Skies (Something Different)!**

**Posted: July 7, 2014**


	4. Carefully Secret Plans

**This story's almost halfway complete already! Compared to Brave and Wheel, this one is so short! I need to start thinking already about what story to post up after this one finishes.**

**Review Replies:**

_**Interested Puppy**_**: Hmm…you got it!**

_**lorde (anonymous)**_**: Well, Hiccup is going to avoid her so she doesn't find out. You'll see soon enough how she reacts.**

_**sselhtootandpuccih**_**: Of course! This is Hiccup. He wouldn't just propose without really laying down his plans. Well, younger Hiccup would, but this is Chief Hiccup. He knows better…hopefully.**

_**redlady cynthia**_**: Thanks. Here's more Skies.**

_**AutomailGrell**_**: I haven't watched the TV show in a while, so I probably don't use that many references from the TV show, but I'm glad you are picking up my movie references. I love using little lines from the movie. Also, yeah, I plan a schedule, but usually life doesn't allow me to keep to the schedule. Prime example being with Brave and Wheel. Always late.**

_**Maribuns94556 (anonymous)**_**: Here's the next chapter.**

_**UnbreakableWarrior**_**: Thanks!**

_**HiccupHaddockLover**_**: Of course, I'll continue! Haha. I've actually never read Hitchups, but I've heard nothing but great comments about it. I'm honored that my story is mentioned even just in the same sentence with Hitchups. Haha. **

**cheveyo197913: Thanks! Of course I'll continue posting new chapters…well, until the story ends, but that's still a little ways off for now.**

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Chapter 4: Carefully Secret Plans

Hiccup woke up slowly, blinking his eyes and trying to recall what was going on. The shadows on his wall and across his room were longer than usual; it was late in the day. Sitting up, Hiccup found it harder than usual, stiffer. Looking down, he saw that he was still wearing his flight suit. He never wore that to bed. It was designed to be tighter and he would always take off the top, leaving his tunic and trousers on for bed. With his foot and prosthetic planted firmly on the ground beside his bed, Hiccup held his head, letting memories drift back in through the lifting veil of sleep. When he finally remembered what he had last been working on (and the reason why he had slept so late into the day), Hiccup stood up abruptly. There was so much to prepare and so little time to get it all done!

The young Chief was down the stairs and out the front door of his house before Valka could even comprehend that her son was finally awake. Hiccup's first stop was to the nearby Great Hall. He wanted to assess the layouts of the building's interior so he could plan out how to "set the stage" on the night of the formal dinner. Unfortunately, in his haste, Hiccup had forgotten that it was approaching the supper hour and the Great Hall was more packed than he'd expected. All the gathered Vikings, not having seen their Chief all day, approached and asked about his well-being. Was he okay? Where had he been all day? Quickly, Hiccup dismissed their questions and the normality from before resumed. As the other Vikings ate, Hiccup walked up around the front Chieftain's table and mentally calculated the area of the open space. His fellow Vikings must've thought it strange, seeing Hiccup muttering to himself and his prosthetic clicking with each step he took as he continually circled the open space.

So lost in his thoughts, Hiccup did not hear the off-balance approach of a certain Viking until the Chief felt a hand grip the shoulder of his flight suit. Out of instinct, Hiccup jumped, ready to pull Inferno from the holster on his lower leg where he normally kept it. Hearing an apology from a familiar voice, Hiccup relaxed. He was about to tell Gobber off for startling him that way, but he stopped when he saw the concern in his former teacher's eyes.

"Everything okay, Lad? You haven't quite been yourself today."

Hiccup debated shrugging off the concern with a simple confirmation that everything was fine, but he knew that he could trust Gobber so he told him. "Yeah, everything's okay, but I'm going to tell you something and I need you to not tell anyone, not my mother…or the other Riders, especially Astrid. Astrid can't know anything about what I'm going to tell you now." Seeing Gobber's nod, Hiccup continued in a whisper, "I'm going to ask Astrid to marry me."

Immediately, Hiccup saw that Gobber was about to loudly remark, most likely, about this news and how amazing it was to hear. With a simple clamping hand motion, Hiccup conveyed his thoughts to Gobber. "Keep it down!" the gesture spoke for the chief.

"That's great!" Gobber quietly remarked. "Do you need any help setting anything up for that?"

"I think I've got most of the planning decided. I'm going to talk tomorrow with some of our finest musicians and I've assessed the layout of the Chieftain table here. All I really need is to figure out a night to hold the formal dinner. Any suggestions?"

"Well, that's your choice, but definitely be sure to give us villagers plenty of notice. You know how we all like to eat," he answered with a laugh which Hiccup echoed.

"Am I interrupting?"

Hiccup, who had been facing away from the front door of the Great Hall, had not noticed the approach of his girlfriend. Hearing her voice, he instantly stiffened. _**How much had she heard?** _"Ah, is that the time? Look at that! I should be getting home!" He bolted past Astrid and out the door before he could even comprehend how lame an excuse he had just given.

888

"How lame an answer was that?!" Hiccup had run home after hastily leaving the Great Hall and was currently pacing circles around the floor of his bedroom…all while ranting to Toothless in retrospect of what had just occurred. "There's no way that Astrid bought that excuse. She's smarter than that." He sighed. "I couldn't come up with a worst reply if I'd tried."

From downstairs, Hiccup heard a knock at the front door…and he knew exactly who it would be. His suspicions were confirmed as he heard his mother yell up the stairs that Astrid was there and wanted to talk with him. There was no way in Hel that Hiccup was ready to answer to her about what had happened between them in the Great Hall. Grabbing the helmet he had fashioned specifically for his flight suit, Hiccup approached Toothless. "Come on, Bud. Let's go take our nighttime flight." He knew that dragon was skeptical about his rider's sudden change. Usually, Hiccup enjoyed hanging out with Astrid and they were together often. Toothless trusted Hiccup though, so he helped his rider up to the open window and together they slipped out, letting the surrounding darkness conceal them from the potentially watchful eyes of Astrid Hofferson.

888

Hiccup and Toothless arrived back home late that night. The young Chief had wanted to be sure that Astrid had left before he returned home. As quietly as they possibly could, the pair entered into the house through the open window into Hiccup's second-floor bedroom. _**Perhaps the Gods will actually be on my side tonight**_, he hoped, as he successfully landed onto the floor without waking his mother…well, she didn't come up to check on him, so he guessed that she was sleeping.

Tomorrow would be a very big day, so Hiccup immediately set to preparing for sleep. Toothless had already heated his slab of rock and curled up on top of it before Hiccup could even remove the top pieces to his flight suit. It was impossible to take those pieces off in a hurry. If his life ever depended on the speed of removing….yeah, he'd make a note later to alter the suit. Right now, though, that was not his top priority. Successfully making it through this marriage proposal? Yes, that was the most important immediate item on his ever-lengthening to-do list at the moment. For now, though, he would just sleep. That sounded good enough for Hiccup.

888

"So that's what I was thinking about doing? Does that sound okay with all of you?"

The day had dawned bright and early and Hiccup was up at sunrise. There was still something he had to do and Hiccup wanted to make sure it got done because the quicker he finished setting up all the plans, the sooner he could hang out with Astrid again. Sure today would only be two days since they had last hung out together, but that felt like forever when he considered how they had become so accustomed to being together each and every day.

Racing out of the house early this morning, Hiccup had started his day by walking rounds through the village. By doing this he could spot any potential threats and problems, but he could also gather the village's best musicians as they made their way to the Great Hall for their morning meals.

Currently, Hiccup had just finished telling the musicians of his plans and was waiting to hear their thoughts on all he had just mentioned.

"Sounds good, Chief," one musician spoke up in reply.

"Yeah, sounds doable," said the second one.

"We'd be honored to help you out, Chief," the third musician finished, speaking on behalf of the whole group.

Hiccup smiled at the positive replies. "Wonderful. Now, all that's left is to announce the formal dinner and then I think we'll be all set!" Looking around the village, Hiccup spied a young Viking and made his way over to the familiar boy. "Gustav! Just the Viking I was looking for!" Sure, that wasn't necessarily true, but Gustav didn't need to know that. When Hiccup saw that he had the boy's attention, the young Chief continued, "I think you could help me out with something very important. Start spreading the word that I want everyone gathered here in the Great Hall for an announcement. Can you do that for me?"

Gustav, now almost thirteen (as he constantly reminded those around him) and a dragon rider-in-training was happy to help out his chief and immediately walked away, telling other Vikings nearby of what he had just heard from Hiccup.

Wanting to already be present when his tribe began to gather in the Great Hall, Hiccup made his way to the building. He did not turn back, even as he climbed the stairs up the hill to the entrance. There was no need; he knew that everyone was following. They all supported their chief and if Hiccup had called for a gathering, they would all most definitely be there. Knowing that everyone had confidence in him and that they would willingly follow him and regard him as their Chief really helped Hiccup feel more secure in his position. Maybe, just maybe, he could one day live up to his father's legacy.

888

Seeing everyone seated on the benches inside the Great Hall overwhelmed Hiccup. He could not remember ever addressing a crowd this large and, if he had, it was never a serious announcement. This would be the first time he had ever spoken publicly to all his fellow Vikings since he'd been named Chief. _**I can do this**_, he reassured himself. _**It won't be too hard. Just say what needs to be said and then send everyone off to continue their daily lives**_. _**Why does it feel so much more difficult, though?**_

Hiccup found his mother and Gobber in the crowd and their encouraging nods and smiles gave the young Chief the confidence that he needed. "Thank you all for coming today," he began. "I will make this announcement brief. In three nights, there will be a formal dinner to be held here in the Great Hall. Just…uh…" he faltered slightly. "look your best and come eat a special meal, I guess…" he trailed off, his confidence dropping as he realized that he had no excuse (well, none that he wanted to give just yet) for arranging this formal dinner.

Mutters echoed around the hall and Hiccup was afraid that his announcement was not effective. Five years later and the Gods clearly still hated him. The young Chief knew that he had never been the best speaker in front of crowds. That was something his father could do, but Hiccup was not his dad…and he doubted that he'd ever be as good a Chief.

"You heard the Chief. Formal dinner to be held in three nights' time. Long live Hiccup!"

Hiccup looked up to see that his mother had stood to address the gathered Vikings who joined in with a scattered "Long live the Chief!" Smiling, Hiccup nodded to his mother in thanks as everyone began to shuffle out and return to their daily work. Walking over to his mother, Hiccup thanked her for the save. "Thanks, Mom. I'm not the best public speaker. That was always…Dad's thing," he told her, hesitating slightly at the memory of his father.

Valka placed her hand onto her son's shoulder. "It's okay, Hiccup. You will improve. Your father wasn't perfect at first either. It took him years of practice, but as he continued to make speeches and announcements, he found that it would come easily to him."

Hiccup smiled in reassurance before excusing himself. _**Maybe I'll go find Astrid and…**_ His thoughts stopped as he realized that Astrid would have heard the announcement. _**What's the chance that she's still here at the Great Hall?**_ As Hiccup walked toward the large heavy doors of the Hall, he found that there was, apparently, a very good chance that Astrid had stayed after the announcement. _**Oh, there she is!**_ He was so glad that he could finally talk with her again; it had hurt to avoid her, but Hiccup knew that his secret would not have remained so otherwise. The closer Hiccup approached to his girlfriend, though, the more nervous he became as her expression became clearer. _**Oh Gods, she looks upset…This is not going to go well for me, is it?**_

* * *

**Well, Hiccup…it's been nice knowing you. We all know how Astrid gets when she's upset. Wow…this chapter was longer than I usually write, but there was so much that needed to be said and done. Hope that everyone enjoyed!**

**Coming Up Next: Hiccup knew he was in for it now. He was well aware how Astrid could get when she was upset. Although, he had not seen her this upset in several years. They had fought before as they were always both headstrong and stubborn in their ways, but this was nothing like those fights; this was serious. How will Berk's young Chief handle this situation when "Astrid Corners Hiccup"?**

**Next Chapter: Posting time is TBD; I write this story when I need to take a break from Brave and Wheel.**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting Europe Skies (Something Different)!**

**Posted: July 16, 2014**


	5. Astrid Corners Hiccup

**I think it's about time for more Skies, don't you? This chapter marks the halfway point of this story. It was never intended to be long. In fact, originally, I was going to make this story a one-shot, but then I came up with this nice little plotline. I try to avoid writing one-shots (unless they're part of a collection or something). Anyway, let's move on to this chapter. It's going to get good now!**

**Review Replies:**

_**lorde (anonymous)**_**: This story actually has no connection at all to Wheel. **

_**sselhtootandpuccih**_**: Yes, he is! I'm almost afraid to see what Astrid's going to do to our favorite newly-appointed Chief! Haha.**

_**AutomailGrell**_**: Thanks! Oh, the small references. That makes sense. Yeah, I do seem to add those in a lot. As for mentioning Stoick, I'm sorry! It's Hiccup's fault! He keeps thinking about his dad! Blame Hiccup! Haha.**

_**UnbreakableWarrior**_**: Thanks!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Astrid Corners Hiccup

_**Well, there's no getting out of this**_, Hiccup knew. He would have to face Astrid sooner or later and he figured that it might as well be sooner. Walking slowly up to his angry girlfriend, Hiccup put on a casual smile in hopes that he could mask the fear that was probably written all over his face. "Hey, Astrid," he greeted. "How's it going?"

"Oh, it was going great…" Astrid answered, her tone light, but Hiccup knew her well enough to hear the anger that lingered just under the surface. "…until I realized that my boyfriend was avoiding me!" she finished, stepping closer to the young Chief. "Care to explain, Hiccup?"

As Astrid spoke, she had moved closer and closer to Hiccup until his back had touched a wooden surface and he could retreat no further. Chancing a glance behind him, Hiccup saw that he had been backed into a corner, literally, and there was no getting around Astrid. Sometimes he really questioned why he'd chosen a skilled shieldmaiden as his girlfriend. There was no doubt that she had planned this, that she knew he would not be getting away until she let him leave. Hiccup hoped that the Great Hall had emptied out as anyone who lingered would be in for quite a show; they would see their Chief at one of his weakest moments. "Ah…well…about that…I mean…you thought I was avoiding you, Astrid? I wasn't avoiding you…I just…um…"

Stuttering. That was a bad habit of his and it had been that way ever since Hiccup was young. He had hoped that becoming Chief would change that, but it seemed that it had not. Yet. Usually when Hiccup stuttered in his speech it was out of nervousness or because he was attempting to lie; Hiccup had never been very good at lying. In this case, his stuttering was caused by both. He was nervous before he'd attempted the lie…and he was certain that Astrid knew this.

Astrid scoffed. "Come on, Hiccup, we both know what's been going on. We've spent every day together, even if only just part of each day, for the past six years! Then, all of a sudden, you're never around. You even ran off with some lame excuse when I tried to greet you yesterday. I want explanations, so start talking."

Somehow Hiccup knew that it would probably come to this. Astrid had always been one to grow suspicious when something out of the ordinary would occur. He knew this better than anyone as she had turned on him quickly six years ago when they had both been placed in the same dragon training class. She had hated that he had improved his skills seemingly overnight and she had sought answers. In a way, Hiccup felt like that same boy, cornered and trying desperately to explain his situation to Astrid. Like before, he had no words to describe the strange occurrences. Looking down to the ground to avoid meeting Astrid's steady gaze, Hiccup mumbled, "I'm sorry, Astrid…"

"I'm sorry," Astrid answered roughly, tightly gripping the tough leather collar of Hiccup's flight suit, "I didn't catch that. What did you say?" Her voice cut through the air like ten thousand freshly-sharpened daggers.

Hiccup sighed softly before bringing his gaze up to meet Astrid's eyes. His stare was unwavering as he tried again. "I'm sorry, Astrid. I would explain everything, but…I can't. I promise that I will tell you everything…just…not yet."

Astrid's grip loosened and Hiccup shifted. She said nothing. Hiccup could already tell that this was not going to go well. Clearly, Astrid was contemplating his words and, when it came to Astrid, silence wasn't always good. "Fine," she replied, releasing Hiccup's flight suit from her hands and backing up slightly.

Some would be relieved to have stood up to Astrid Hofferson and walked away with no bruises or broken bones, but not Hiccup. He knew something was still up and, right now, he probably would've taken the injury…as long as it meant that he was back in good terms with his girlfriend.

"Fine?" Hiccup questioned.

"That's what I said," she replied, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Hiccup called to her. She stopped but kept her back to him. "I know you, Astrid. You wouldn't just back down that easily. What's really going on here?"

Unfortunately for Hiccup, he quickly grew to regret asking this question to Astrid. Her next answer sliced his healing heart into many small shards. "I think we should go our separate ways, Hiccup," she told him softly.

"W-What?" Hiccup asked, his voice faltering at the news he had just heard.

"You heard me. It's over. I'm sorry it had to be this way, but…" she stopped abruptly and Hiccup found himself waiting to hear what she had to say next.

Astrid did not continue and Hiccup had to gently encourage her to finish. "But…?"

"But a courtship is based on a foundation of love and trust. There was plenty of love in our relationship and there used to be trust. However, secrets break the trust. You're keeping secrets from me, Hiccup, and I'm not feeling the trust now," Astrid told him as she turned slightly toward Hiccup. "Not anymore."

The light in the Great Hall caught something in Astrid's eyes and he could see it glistening before he realized what it was. It was a tear. Fierce and Fearless Astrid Hofferson was crying…and it was entirely his fault. He, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Chief of Berk, had made the bravest shieldmaiden in all of Berk cry. Now that was an accomplishment…and not one that he was proud of…not at all.

Before Hiccup could attempt to make amends, Astrid raced out of the Great Hall, her footsteps echoing across the room. Hiccup gasped for breath, trying to comprehend what he had just heard. He had never known heartbreak, but this must be it, because his heart was surely breaking. To him, this felt even worse than that evening he had stood and watched his father's flaming ship sail off to Valhalla. Death was final, but love…love should have been eternal. If not Astrid, Hiccup wanted no other maiden. He had worked so hard these past several days to ensure that everything would be perfect, but none of that mattered now as things stood between him and Astrid. Was this how his love story would end?

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**Welcome, my readers, to the climax of the story! Perfect timing too, seeing as how next chapter begins the second half! I feel that Astrid may have become a little OOC in this chapter, but…oh well…I kinda like how it turned out anyway.**

**Coming Up Next: Hiccup sits down with Valka for another mother-son talk. To take his mind off things, Hiccup thinks of happier moments in his recent past and that is when he realizes something of which he had not yet thought. He asks his mother about his parents' song and he insists that she teach him "The Dance (Part 1)". **

**Next Chapter: Posting time is TBD; I write this story when I need to take a break from Brave and Wheel.**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting Europe Skies (Something Different)!**

**Posted: July 31, 2014**


	6. The Dance (Part 1)

**So…I had a lot of questions about Astrid's reaction in the last chapter. Allow me to explain. It's easier to do it this way than taking up all my review reply space. What is going through Astrid's mind? She's upset and frustrated. Also, she's more of a "speak through actions" type of person, so when she gets frustrated, she seems to say the first thing that comes to mind. Does she regret ending her relationship with Hiccup? You bet! Will she make it easy for him to get her back? Of course not! She's still stubborn and we will see how Hiccup goes about this in the next chapter.**

**NOTE: THIS CHAPTER MAY BE SUBJECT TO EDIT UPON THE DVD RELEASE OF "**_**HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2**_**".**

**Review Replies:**

_**snoopykid**_**: Yes, he'd better. Hopefully he can fix this little mess of his!**

_**Guest (anonymous)**_**: Yep…that about sums up the last chapter. Haha.**

_**AutomailGrell**_**: Never even saw it coming! Hiccup's going to keep bringing up Stoick, I'm afraid. His mind's kinda stuck on that right now. Haha.**

_**InfinitiumAce**_**: Yeah…she was just frustrated. You can bet she regretted her decision later. Although, Hiccup's struggle to get Astrid back will be half the fun, I think.**

_**Kifo Entiegon**_**: Be my guest. Just don't hurt him too badly. Haha.**

_**Midoriko-sama**_**: It's not that it's fragile. What I was going for is just that she spoke without really thinking about the impact of her words. It was just the first thing that came to Astrid's mind and she said it without reason. As for the song, it doesn't play a huge role, really. Hiccup's just curious about it. **

_**UnbreakableWarrior**_**: Thanks!**

_**outofblue**_**: Guess I made you wait a while, but I decided to focus on some other stories and let this story's climax sit for a little bit. I guess there aren't many fics where Hiccup and Astrid break up…now that I think about it. Will it stay that way, though? That is the question.**

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Chapter 6: The Dance (Part 1)

He had screwed up. Hiccup knew that instantly. Despite his desperate attempts to talk with Astrid after she left the Great Hall, Hiccup found himself severely unsuccessful. Astrid always seemed to know when Hiccup was near and she would find ways to disappear. By this point, Hiccup was certain that she had taken off on Stormfly to only Odin knows where_**. I guess she wants to show me how bad it feels to be ignored and avoided. Well, it's working, Astrid**_, Hiccup remarked miserably to himself.

Solemnly, Hiccup walked, with his head down, to his favorite alone place. Since becoming Chief, he had spent last time in his little room over at Gobber's forge. However, right now, he just wanted to sit quietly and collect his thoughts, take some time to reflect on his recent decisions. Arriving at the forge, Hiccup was relieved that Gobber was not there. The heat in the open building had simmered down; Gobber must not have returned to the forge after the meeting in the Great Hall, but that was fine with Hiccup. Alone in his private little room, Hiccup opened one of the drawers of his desk and pulled out a small shiny object. It was the ring he had fashioned over many nights. Hiccup had told Astrid that he was spending his time in the forge with Gobber to repair weapons in case Drago should return. Somehow, she had bought his horrible lie; he still did not know how he had managed to convince Astrid. _**I need to get Astrid back. I worked hard to make this perfect and she is the only girl for whom I'd ever want to do all this!**_

Before he could lose the ring, Hiccup tucked it back into the desk drawer. Sitting here, he knew, would not help him to salvage his relationship with Astrid. He knew exactly what he needed to do now, so he left the forge and headed home. Surely, his mother would have some valuable advice that he could use. Though he still barely knew her, Hiccup already felt that he could trust Valka with his thoughts and that she would always help to guide him whenever he needed it.

The house was quiet as Hiccup entered and he feared that his mother was not there. _**Perhaps she's just out with the dragons**_, he figured, hoping she would return soon so that he could ask for advice. Hiccup grabbed a block of ice from the barrel near the chair that had once been his father's favorite. Though he did not have a headache now, Hiccup always preferred to be proactive as that seemed to lessen the severity of the pain when the aching did finally set in.

"Tough day out there, Hiccup?" his mother asked and Hiccup jumped at her silent approach. He had not even known that she was home.

Sighing, Hiccup nodded. He did not trust himself to speak just yet. The boy did not want to break down in front of his mother; he was still just getting to know her.

Sitting down next to Hiccup, Valka took his hand (the one not already holding the ice block) and gripped it in her own. "It's only been a year since you became Chief. Just keep working at it, Son. Your father faced similar problems when he started, but he overcame them and you will too."

Hiccup smiled slightly at the advice, but that was not what he needed at the moment. "Actually, it's not that," he answered, setting his ice block back down into the barrel. "I've been adjusting to that role and it's been easier, especially now that the renovations are completed. It's…something else," he finished, looking down and finding a sudden interest in the dusty wooden floor in front of him. Even without seeing his mother's expression, Hiccup could feel her urging him to continue, so he did. "It's…Astrid. She…well, after the meeting in the Great Hall, she…was mad at me and she…broke off our relationship."

"Gobber and I did see that, yes," Valka replied.

Running a hand through his hair, Hiccup groaned. "I'll bet the whole village is already talking about that…about how I've failed."

"It's only a failure if you do nothing about it. You're not content to leave things this way, are you, Hiccup?"

"Of course not! Astrid is…well, the only girl I'd ever want to be with, but…how could I ever convince her? You don't know her like I do. She can be…stubborn."

"I have all the faith that you will think of something, Hiccup," Valka replied with a smile.

Unsure of what to say next, Hiccup decided to instead reflect on some of the happier moments in his life in hopes that those memories would cheer him up again. It was as Hiccup reflected on these thoughts that he remembered something that he had thought of frequently but still knew so little about. "Hey, Mom…I was wondering about the song and dance that you and Dad…"

Hiccup trailed off. Valka waited to see if her son was going to finish his thought before she spoke again. "What about it, Hiccup?"

"Well…you've talked before about the song and how Dad…came up with it, but I was wondering more about the dance, actually. This is going to sound crazy, but…can you teach it to me?"

Smiling, Valka stood and offered a hand to Hiccup, helping him up from his chair. "Of course, Son."

Gently with patience, Valka guided Hiccup through the moves of the dance, directing his hands and feet by memory. Together, they repeated the dance. Each time, Valka provided less guidance to Hiccup's moves until on the very last repetition he was able to dance all the moves with his mother without help.

Satisfied that he would remember the dance now, Hiccup thanked Valka for her help. _**Now if I can just convince Astrid to change her mind about our relationship…**_

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**Well…this chapter is shorter than I wanted it to be…but the next chapter…oh gods, I'm looking forward to writing it. There is some very fun scenes planned. **

**Coming Up Next: Mission: Apologize to Astrid will now begin. Hiccup knew it would be hard, but he had never guessed it would be THIS hard. Saying that Astrid is stubborn is definitely an understatement. He thinks, though, that he knows something that will help. Hiccup will teach her "The Dance (Part 2)".**

**Next Chapter: Posting time is TBD; I write this story when I need to take a break from Brave and Wheel.**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting Europe Skies (Something Different)!**

**Posted: August 15, 2014**


	7. The Dance (Part 2)

**Well…it's been almost a month since I last looked at this story…so, an update is overdue, I think. Not that it matters as much for "Skies", but I'm only going to be updating my stories on weekends now. One story (and hopefully, if I'm lucky, two stories) will receive an update each weekend (except next weekend—as I have already stated in my profile announcements. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter of Skies; I think it's going to have some fun moments.**

_**NOTE: THIS CHAPTER MAY BE SUBJECT TO EDIT UPON THE DVD RELEASE OF "HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2".**_

**Review Replies:**

_**Hiccstrid4eva**_**: Thanks! We'll see a bit more of Astrid's stubbornness in the start of this chapter.**

_**lorde (anonymous)**_**: That's good!**

* * *

Chapter 7: The Dance (Part 2)

Hiccup still hadn't talked with Astrid. In his defense, he had tried, but every time he approached her, she would run off or give him some excuse about something she had to go do at that exact moment. The stress of trying to corner Astrid and apologize to her was really getting to Hiccup. He knew Astrid well enough to recognize his urgent need to stop her from avoiding him, but everything he had tried thus far had failed. The young chief had always prided himself for his skills with words and persuasion, but he couldn't use those abilities if she didn't give him the chance. What more could he do?

Hiccup would keep trying. That was all he could do…and he could be just as stubborn as Astrid. Today, as he walked with Toothless through the village, he noticed Astrid and Stormfly up ahead in the distance. Astrid had not yet noticed his presence. Now was his chance. Maybe he could sneak up on her and restrain her so that she…what was he thinking? There was no way that he could restrain her; she was still stronger than him. Still, he could try. "Stay close, Bud," Hiccup whispered to his dragon. If Astrid and Stormfly took to the skies, Hiccup and Toothless would follow. This time, Hiccup refused to let her just leave as he had done in the past near-encounters with her. He would track her down all the way to Hel if that's what it took to convince her to change her mind about him.

Hiccup tried his best to approach Astrid stealthily, but he soon found that to be impossible with a leg made of metal. Astrid's trained ears heard his approach before he could even get close. "Go away, Hiccup," she told him, the edge in her voice meant to scare him off.

Most of the villagers would hear that tone and immediately stand down. Not Hiccup, though; he wasn't fazed by the biting anger. "Astrid, you have to give me a chance to explain," he pleaded. At least it's a start. Usually, she won't even say this much.

"I'm not listening to anything you have to say!" she snarled, her voice growing even more angered with each word. Quickly, before Hiccup's eyes could process her speed, she jumped onto Stormfly and the pair took off flying out over the waters.

Somehow, Hiccup had guessed that it would come to this, so he wasted no time in mounting Toothless and taking off after Astrid and Stormfly. Toothless understood Hiccup's urgency and flew at top speed, easily catching up to the pair ahead of them.

"Will you stop following me, Hiccup? I don't want to talk to you and I don't want to hear you talk!" Astrid called to him over the wind.

"I am going to keep following you until we resolve this, Astrid!" Hiccup told her firmly, also shouting over the flowing wind.

Turning to face Hiccup, Astrid scowled. "Go die, Hiccup," she told him, her voice flat and lacking emotion, a sign to Hiccup that she didn't actually literally mean what she had just said.

Shrugging, Hiccup replied. "As you wish, Milady." He locked Toothless's tailfin into place and slipped from the saddle, falling headfirst toward the dark waters below. Looking up at Stormfly, Hiccup could see Astrid's shocked expression but he watched it soften as she expected him to pull out his "wings" from his flight suit. Hiccup had no intention of doing so; that was not what Astrid had asked of him.

The waters were approaching faster and faster. Closing his eyes, Hiccup anticipated the impact. Clearly, this idea had backfired. Astrid wouldn't be…

Hiccup felt pressure on his good foot and opened his eyes to see Stormfly lifting him higher, back into the sky. The chief smiled, remembering that this was the way he had saved Astrid when she was falling during the battle against the massive dragon on Dragon Island. Stormfly flew back up to Toothless and, when she was directly above the Night Fury, the Nadder righted Hiccup and dropped him back into the saddle. Immediately, Hiccup clicked his prosthetic into place and unlocked the tailfin.

"What did you think you were doing, Hiccup?" Astrid called out to him when the Nadder had leveled off beside Toothless once again.

Hiccup shrugged again. "I was merely doing what you asked of me…" He saw Astrid roll her eyes, but he continued anyway. "If going to such an extreme is what it would take for you to finally listen to me, then I would gladly do it. Can we talk now, please, Astrid?"

Knowing that she would not be winning this argument against her equally-stubborn boyfriend…or…well, whatever they were now, Astrid sighed and gave in. "Fine. We can talk now, Hiccup."

"Let's head back to my house. My mom will be out caring for the dragons so we can talk there," Hiccup told her as he changed the direction of Toothless's tailfin. In truth, Hiccup chose to talk at his house because he did not want to continue shouting over the wind.

It did not take long for the two dragon riders to touch down beside Hiccup's home. Once on the ground, Hiccup let Toothless run off to frolic among the village and Astrid did the same for Stormfly. The dragons wasted in no time in racing off together to do only Odin knows what. Hiccup smiled as he recalled how quickly Toothless and Stormfly had become inseparable.

Ever the gentleman, Hiccup opened the front door to his house and held it open for Astrid to enter. Once they were both inside, he quickly shut the door to keep the cold air out. As he went to start at fire in the dormant firepit, Astrid spoke up. "Okay, I'm here now. So talk," she remarked, crossing her arms, a sure sign that she was still angered.

Instantly forgetting about starting a fire, Hiccup stood up and turned to face Astrid. Her eyes were lit with the fierce intensity that he had known well in their younger years during Dragon Training. He sighed, feeling smaller until her heated gaze. "Astrid…" he started. How could he tell her everything that he felt? There was so much to say. Resisting the urge to step forward and tightly grasped her clenched hands, Hiccup continued. "I'm really, really sorry about what happened between us. It's entirely my fault. I was busy and didn't make time for our relationship." He looked down at the ground and debated how to proceed. Sure, he had left some of the truth out of his explanation, but, hopefully, Astrid would understand soon enough. "Astrid, I promise that if you can find it in your heart to forgive me for what happened this time, I will do everything I can to make sure this never happens again."

"Hiccup…"

The young Chief knew that tone well. She didn't believe him. "I'll…I'll appoint you my second-in-command. That way, you'll always be informed…and if the work becomes too much for me, you'll be right there alongside me to help." Hiccup knew this idea was revolutionary. Never before had a Berk Chief appointed a female Viking to such a high position within the village, but Hiccup also knew that there was no one that he would trust more than Astrid for this job.

Astrid scoffed at the idea. "I thought I already was your 'second-in-command'," she told him.

"Not officially yet," Hiccup retaliated quickly, "but I will announce it to the village and that should solve this problem and prevent this sort of argument from ever happening again." _**Not to mention that I won't have to go behind your back to plan out a formal wedding proposal anymore either**_. He didn't finish that thought out loud.

Astrid did not immediately respond to Hiccup and he knew that she was taking the time to think over all that he had just told her. Yet another reason that Hiccup felt she would make an excellent second-in-command. "Fine…" she finally announced, drawing out her one-word answer.

"So…are we good, Astrid? Will you be my girlfriend once again?" he asked, hoping that his voice didn't sound too desperate. Unfortunately, she did not answer and, instead, turned away. That was not a good sign. _**What can I do? I wonder…**_he pondered to himself, thinking about the dance that his mother had recently taught him. _**Will Astrid let me…?**_ "Astrid…could you…hold up your arm for me?" He saw her throw a confused glance his way, but he was ready for it. "Hold up your arm and make a fist…as if you were about to punch me," he instructed.

Though Astrid was still skeptical, she did as Hiccup asked and he placed his own fisted arm against hers. He then directed her to walk one quarter of a circuit and then to switch sides and do the same in the other direction. Astrid's moves were stiff and unsure, just as Hiccup's had once been, but he guided her with the same gentle ease as his mother had him. Each move, every slight change, Hiccup knew and he did his best to instruct Astrid. In his head, he hummed the tune of his parents' song for timing.

Finally, they came to the end of the dance and Hiccup lifted Astrid into the air. He smiled knowing that, six years ago, that would never have been possible. Gently, he placed Astrid back to the ground and waited for the punch that she would surely deliver to him.

The punch never came and instead Hiccup looked down to meet Astrid's confused gaze. "Okay, what was that all about?" she asked, demanding an answer.

"Well..." Hiccup began. How could he possibly explain this to Astrid? "When I met my mother…or, more so, when my dad met up with my mother after their 20-year separation, they…sang this song and there was this dance…" He was stuttering again. Someday he would find a way to break that habit. "Well…um…anyway, that dance we just…uh…yeah, that was my…my parents' dance," he told her nervously, waiting for her reaction.

For a moment, there was silence between the two, but slowly Astrid's facial expression softened. "So you just…taught me your parents' dance?" she asked Hiccup in clarification. He nodded in reply, which earned him a genuine smile from Astrid. The young Chief could tell that she knew how important this dance was to Hiccup and he could see that she was honored to be one of the few who knew of it. "Can we…dance it again?" she asked, her voice quivering slightly in nervousness.

"We most certainly can dance it again, Milady," Hiccup told her. "We can dance repeat that dance until you know if by heart if that's what you'd like." Hiccup made to direct her moves again as he had just done, but stopped. Slowly, he moved closer to Astrid. All the while he waited for her to punch him, but instead he noticed her doing the same. Time slowed as Hiccup and Astrid closed the gap between each other. Softly, Hiccup brought his lips down upon Astrid's own. She did not push him away and, instead, melted into the kiss. Hiccup's eyes fluttered shut at the feeling of contentment welling up in his chest.

The kiss spoke volumes for both Hiccup and Astrid. No longer were they divided. All had been reconciled and Hiccup could tell that this was the proof that Astrid had finally forgiven him; she was willing to be his girlfriend once again. As they ran out of air, Hiccup and Astrid pulled apart. He opened his eyes and could just feel that goofy grin plaster itself onto his face. Astrid just always seemed to have that effect on him.

Seeing that Hiccup was making no move to speak, Astrid finally asked him, "So…how about that dance?"

* * *

**Yeah…I didn't really like the ending, but it's getting late and I wanted to get this posted before I go to bed because, after tonight, I don't know when I'll update next. Recall, I will not be updating anything this weekend, so it very well might not be until next weekend that I update again. I'm thinking, though, that Brave will be next.**

**Coming Up Next: The night had finally arrived. Everything was in order. Finally, Hiccup would ask Astrid to marry him! It is the night of the "Formal Dinner in the Great Hall". **

**Next Chapter: Posting time is TBD; I write this story when I need to take a break from Brave and Wheel.**

**Thank you all for reading and supporting Europe's Skies (Something Different)!**

**Posted: September 11, 2014**


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